The Normal Heart Play Analysis
After it fled the streets of New York twenty-two years ago, “The Normal Heart”, written by Larry Kramer, has been revived at the Berkshire School theatre. As the curtains were drawn, the audience stood applauding the cast for their incredible job well done in the new production about the AIDS epidemic, specifically homosexual Aids, in 1985. Although Larry Kramer wrote the play twenty-two years ago, it felt like we were back in 1985 fighting the AIDS epidemic. As a classically structured drama and a political concern that has been going on for decades now, the play had the power to change the views of many and move emotions throughout the theatre. As the play begins, we meet the infamous Ned Weeks, a loud, confident, stubborn, and well known
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Kramer’s writing is very aggressive and adult like right off of the bat, but in a way it is a good thing because people do not hear some of the things said in the play enough. In one example Mickey is speaking to Ned about men when Mickey replies, “Sex is liberating. It’s always guys like you who’ve never had one who are always screaming about relationships, and monogamy and fidelity and holy matrimony. What are you, a closet straight,” (pg.55). Although this is not the most vulgar language, Mickey talks about physical intimacy between two men which is not talked about enough. Watching the men act out this scene showed a different side of living, and I felt as if I were there in the room having the same conversation with them. Another example of vulgar language is when Bruce and Ned are fighting before their interview with the mayor’s assistant and Ned screams, “Ned: ‘Bruce, Albert may be dying. Why doesn’t that alone make you want to fight harder?’ Bruce: ‘Get off my back!’ Ned: ‘Get off your ass!’” (pg.79). Kramer’s writing here blew me away, not only because there was phenomenal acting, but the way the scene picked up intensity as the conversation flowed, by the end I felt like I was being yelled at by Ned. The language being used is not typically seen in many plays, but the words are used so delicately and said at the right time so that an audience member feels like they are on stage
Kramer’s writing is very aggressive and adult like right off of the bat, but in a way it is a good thing because people do not hear some of the things said in the play enough. In one example Mickey is speaking to Ned about men when Mickey replies, “Sex is liberating. It’s always guys like you who’ve never had one who are always screaming about relationships, and monogamy and fidelity and holy matrimony. What are you, a closet straight,” (pg.55). Although this is not the most vulgar language, Mickey talks about physical intimacy between two men which is not talked about enough. Watching the men act out this scene showed a different side of living, and I felt as if I were there in the room having the same conversation with them. Another example of vulgar language is when Bruce and Ned are fighting before their interview with the mayor’s assistant and Ned screams, “Ned: ‘Bruce, Albert may be dying. Why doesn’t that alone make you want to fight harder?’ Bruce: ‘Get off my back!’ Ned: ‘Get off your ass!’” (pg.79). Kramer’s writing here blew me away, not only because there was phenomenal acting, but the way the scene picked up intensity as the conversation flowed, by the end I felt like I was being yelled at by Ned. The language being used is not typically seen in many plays, but the words are used so delicately and said at the right time so that an audience member feels like they are on stage